1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to wireless communications. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to controlling access to wireless local area networks.
2. Background Information
Recently, wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as Wi-Fi networks and hotspots, have proliferated in the public space. WiFi networks include WLANs conforming to standards such as 802.11. Within the United States, the introduction of the networks has resulted in a fragmented market with several thousand independent Wi-Fi operators providing coverage in different public venues. These venues vary from small deployments, such as restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops, to much larger deployments, such as convention centers, hotels, and airports.
Users interested in connecting to Wi-Fi networks in the public space have to typically either subscribe to the Wi-Fi operator's services on a monthly basis or pay a one-time fee each time they use the hotspot. Such an arrangement is not optimal as it results in paying bills to multiple Wi-Fi operators at the end of each month, increasing the costs of associating with multiple operators, and remembering the login-password combination for hotspots operated by different Wi-Fi operators.
Although clearinghouses exist, a subscriber must still login through an access point, raising security issues. Moreover, an extra relationship must be established. That is, the subscriber must have a relationship with a clearinghouse, in addition to the relationship with the WiFi provider.
There is a need for addressing the issues identified above.